Time Unwinding, Fate Unbinding
by KestrelMoonfayre
Summary: The once shattered Jewel is whole, and the wish for the Jewel's disappearance fulfilled. With Naraku defeated and Kikyo dead, Inuyasha is now journeying the world to forget his sadness – leaving Kagome behind, and with no more ties to the past, Kagome has returned to the present. Eventual Sess/Kag.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own InuYasha, and am in no way making a profit off of this fanfiction. All characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi, with the exception of one of my own characters later on.

**WARNING** This story is going to be rather angsty – as in many people will leave and never be seen again, be horribly injured and/or killed, and may not be brought back. I'm telling you now there will probably not be a light at the end of this tunnel. Or if there is, it'll be more a muted gray then a bright white light.

But we swears on the Precious that it'll be worth it! (Oops my L.o.t.R. nerd just escaped. If you see it... staple it to a wall.)

Anyway... ON WITH THE SHOW!

**Chapter One: Beginning At the End**

Kagome stared in open mouth surprise at the half-demon floating in front of her. He spoke her name as she reached for him, placing her hand above the steady thumping of his heart. _It's not an illusion. _"Inuyasha," she said as the tears began to fall, "I wanted to be with you." She wrapped her arms around him as he brought his arm up to hold her. After their short reunion, they turned to face the Jewel. Its expectant hum resonated throughout the empty space as it waited for Kagome to speak.

"Jewel of Four Souls," she said in a voice much steadier than before, "I am making my wish." In her mind, she heard a whisper of voice from before say, "_When the last person to hold the Jewel of Four Souls makes the right wish, the Jewel will be purified and disappear from this world." _Inuyasha's appearance had reinforced her previously shaky resolve. She now knew the right answer. _Inuyasha is here with me. I have nothing to be afraid of. _Taking a deep breath to steel herself, Kagome screamed, "Disappear!" The Jewel splintered, and in a burst of power and light, vanished. _Forever._

.:!:.

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Kagome rolled over and fumbled for the alarm with closed eyes. Her heart was pounding, no doubt because of the dream she had. She groaned and fell back onto her pillows. _Why can't I dream about meadows and flying like normal people?_ She cracked open an eye to look at her bow hanging in its case on the wall above her headboard. _Oh, right because I'm not normal. _Sighing, she sat up and swung her legs off the bed. She padded into her kitchen to start the coffee and toast. Of course, with her apartment only around 200 square foot, she didn't have far to go.

As she made breakfast, Kagome remembered how her mother had reacted when she told her she wanted her own place – shock, happiness, and then sadness. Her Mom had been keeping her close ever since her return from the Warring States Era. Her daughter had come back, but she was a different person. Gone was the carefree attitude – she had seen far too much war and death for that. She had a smile that could light up the world, but after what _he_ had done to her, it was a rare sight to see. Kagome shook her head to clear her sad thoughts.

"It's the start of a new day!" she said aloud. "No time for unhappiness when there's so much to do!" She tried to sound as chipper as she used to, but it just wasn't the same. Coffee in hand and toast in mouth, she grabbed her To Do list off the fridge and made her way into the living room. She set her coffee on the table and plopped onto the couch with her list. "Let's see," she mumbled around her toast. "I need to go grocery shopping for next week and do laundry. So much for 'so much to do'," she grunted. "Oh well, early bird gets the worm."

After having a shower and getting dressed, Kagome leisurely walked to the local market, which was already a swarm of activity. Old ladies haggled over prices with the merchants, the outward bickering nothing more than fun between friends. Dogs smelt about the stalls only to melt back into the chaos of the crowd as the shop owners yelled at them. Bun and noodle vendors hollered over the noise of it all, hoping to tempt the passersby to join them. She wandered among the various stalls, buying what she needed along the way. _It's nice to be surrounded by happiness out in the sun. _

"Hey! Watch where yer damn walkin' ya old hag!"

Kagome froze. _It couldn't be. The well's closed. He _can't _be here!_

"Ya don't have an apology for me, old hag? Keh!"

Slowly, she turned around. Her eyes were drawn to a young man in a blue jeans and a red jacket. He was standing over an elderly woman lying in the middle of the thoroughfare yelling at her. Kagome took a step closer. _It's just not possible._ His long black hair was loose underneath his ball cap.

"Inuyasha?" she called out tentatively. The man straightened and turned to look back her way. His face was scarred and rough with a wide, crooked nose and thin lips. _Not him then._

"Ya just call me a dog demon? Din't ya momma teach ya any manners? Callin' names's rude, lil woman." He made to walk toward her, but she spun and took off.

She didn't stop running until she was in her apartment. Once there she locked the door, dropped her groceries and collapsed on the couch, chest heaving. _It's been too long since I've run like that._

_That man at the market had sounded so much like Inuyasha._ Kagome tried hard to erase the market incident from her mind. It made her think of him, and that was the last thing she wanted to do after what that bastard had done to her. She got up and flicked on the television, looking at the mess near her front door. Her groceries had spilled out of her bag in her haste and scattered. Sighing, she picked everything up and took it to the kitchen. After washing off the vegetables, she cut up a couple celery sticks and nibbled on them as she watched TV.

Halfway through the news at noon, she fell asleep. Unbidden, her mind brought back the memories of that day.

.:!:.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own InuYasha, and am in no way making a profit off of this fanfiction. All characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi, with the exception of one of my own characters later on.

**Quick Note** This chapter was originally part of the first, but honestly 3000 words can be a little daunting to some people, so kind-hearted person that I am, I split it up.

**Chapter Two: Foolish Games**

_Inuyasha... I want to be with you._

Kagome started as a tingle of power flitted through her hand on the well, there and gone within a second. She leaned in, trying to find it again, but it was gone.

"Kagome," her mother called as she walked by the well house. Upon seeing her daughter staring into the depths of the well she entered. "What's wrong?"

"Mama..." Kagome couldn't bring herself to mention the fleeting feeling of hope she had felt at that evanescent trace of power. Her mother came and put her arms around her daughter, reassuring her, as they both stared into the empty well.

As she watched, Kagome saw a familiar blue power begin to spider-web through the darkness. "The sky," she mumbled to herself. A perfect image of the sky appeared at the bottom of the Bone-Eater's well, and she knew what she had to do. "Mama, I'm..." she whispered, entranced.

"Kagome," her mother gently called. She was worried by her daughter's sudden intensity. "What is it?" she asked again.

Her daughter looked up to face her slowly. Tears had begun to build in the corners of her eyes.

"Mama, I'm going to Inuyasha."

The goodbyes seemed to take but a minute, even though it took the entire morning. For Kagome's family, however, she was down the well all too soon. _I'm going to miss them, _she thought as the tears began to fall again. The urethral blue glow seemed to reflect her sadness. Kagome felt the odd sensation that signaled the end of her journey. Weightlessness gradually gave way to gravity, and her feet met the dirt bottom she thought she'd never stand on again. She looked up to the same sky she'd caught a glimpse of this morning, waiting for the clawed hand she knew would be there to help her out.

She waited.

And she waited.

After a two minute long eternity, she pulled herself out of the dry well. _He's just not close enough to smell me is all! Probably out slaying some demon for a village, _she laughed to herself. Happy thoughts of surprising him when he returned filled her mind as she made the overgrown trek down to the village.

When she entered the first field a village noticed her and quickly called to the others. "Lady Kagome has returned to us!" Within a matter of moments, she was surrounded by the group as they herded her toward Kaede's hut, in a much friendlier manner than her first visit.

"Lady Kaede! Lady Kagome has returned to us!"

Kagome held her breath as she heard the old priestess reply, "Have ye all gone mad? I told ye that there will be no-" Her words came to a halt as she pushed aside her mat to peer outside. "Kagome..." She stepped out and gripped the girls shoulder with a shaking hand. "Have ye finally returned?" she asked with a smile.

She dispersed the crowd and pulled Kagome into the hut after the young priestess acknowledged her question with a nod. "Ye were gone for three harvests. I had thought ye were ne'er going to return." She lowered herself onto the floor in front of Kagome.

"I thought that too, but then I realized that was the very reason I couldn't use the well. So now, here I am!" Kaede smiled along with her. "Kaede-Baa-chan, where is Inuyasha and the others?" The elder's smile dimmed as she asked the question.

"I'm sure they will be along soon, but there is something I must te-"

"Kagome!" A furry orange ball launched itself into her arms. She laughed and cuddled the tiny fox demon.

"Shippo, I think you've grown!"

"Yep! And now I'm an Upper Senior 7th rank! Watch what I can do!" He scuttled out of her hold to pull a doll out of his pocket.

"Now, Shippo, I think we all remember what happened the last time you preformed this trick. The villagers may not be so forgiving if you do it a second time." Kagome turned to the monk in the doorway.

"Miroku," the second his name left her lips he swept forward to grasp her hand.

"I do believe the years away have afforded you a new beauty, Kagome." He was promptly kicked over by an irritated demon hunter carrying two squirming toddlers and a baby.

"There, go get Daddy," they charged at Miroku, clambering over his lifeless form.

"Sango!" Kagome ran at the woman she'd missed like a sister. They embraced tightly, Kagome making sure to avoid smashing the baby, before pulling back to stare at each other.

"Your," they both started at the same time and began laughing.

"Go ahead, Kagome," Sango inclined her head.

"Your kids are adorable!" she squealed. "How old are they all anyway?"

"Mieko and Miyuki," she pointed to the little girls sitting on Miroku's head, "are two, and little Ichiro is about to see his first winter." She held Ichiro up and Kagome tickled him on his stomach. Little bubbles popped out of his mouth as he blew a raspberry in response. "I'm so happy that you are finally back. I thought that you had chosen to stay with your family after the well reappeared and only Inuyasha returned." Sango froze after the last word.

"Where is he anyway?" Kagome was smiling down at the baby boy and missed Sango's expression. "I thought that he would have been here by now."

Silence filled the hut as Kagome asked the question they had all been dreading. Miroku shot Sango a look as he sat up. "Mieko, Miyuki, why don't you have Shippo show you some of his fox magic outside?" Shippo looked from Miroku to Kagome before calling the twins out to play. "I believe we would be more comfortable as we talked if we all sat down," he gestured to the floor. Sango sat, but Kagome continued to stand, staring at everyone's carefully blank faces.

"Where is Inuyasha, Sango?" Her friend wouldn't make eye-contact with her, and everyone's sudden seriousness was starting to scare her. Miroku, Sango, and Kaede shared a look. A silent decision was reached and slowly Miroku nodded.

"When the well reappeared after three days and Inuyasha returned alone, he refused to speak to anyone about you. All he would answer with was "Kagome is safe" and "She has others who love her," to every question we asked," he sent Kagome a pained look. "He became more and more withdrawn, spending all day beside the well. I tried to get him to go with me to exorcisms, but he would always refuse. Insisting just aggravated him." Miroku shook his head, as if to rid himself of the memories. Sango was crying and Kaede's face was sterner than usual. After composing himself, he continued, "We had established a routine of sorts. I would check up on him every morning and he would always decline to assist me. Even when winter hit, he would just sit there, waiting. Wind, snow, rain, heat – he sat through it all. After Mieko and Miyuki were born, I wasn't able to stop by as much. When I did, nothing had changed. Then-" he stumbled to a halt. Sango put a comforting hand on Miroku's shoulder, which he covered with his own. She continued on for him.

"One morning Miroku came back to our hut panicked. Inuyasha wasn't at the well like usual. In fact, he wasn't anywhere to be found. We checked the woods, even the surrounding villages. No one had seen him. He was just gone." The tears had returned as she finished, and she wasn't surprised to see the same of Kagome. "I'm so sorry Kagome. We do not know where he went. When Sesshoumaru came to visit Rin, Kaede also asked him to search for his brother, yet not even he hasn't found him."

With the tale finished, all eyes focused on Kagome. She was frozen. Her cheeks were wet from tears, eyes open and unblinking; almost like a weeping statue. While she looked petrified on the outside, the inside was throbbing with emotions.

_Inuyasha...left? But he was waiting for me. Why would he just leave? Now he's gone. Gone. Gone. Gone._

"Kagome?" she heard someone call her.

_He left me. Gone._

She heard her name called again. "She looks pale, Kaede-sama... and she's mumbling."

_Gone._

"I think she may be in shock. We need to calm her down." She knew that tone. It was the same one Miroku used when dealing with hysterical clients.

"Kagome!" Something wet touched her forehead.

_Gone. Gone. G-_

**Splash!**

Kagome gasped and came back to herself. She was soaked from head to toe, with Sango standing over her holding a dripping bucket.

"Forgive me, but you weren't reacting to anything else," she sat the bucket down to bow as she apologized.

"Sango. Is Inuyasha really gone?" Kagome's voice was weak and wobbly. Her friend's response was to hug her tightly, uncaring if she got wet too.

"I'm sorry, Kagome. So, so sorry," Sango cried, whispering into her ear.

Suddenly, Kagome was tired of apologies. Everyone was apologizing - Everyone except the self bastard who _should_ be here groveling before her.

"Stop it," she demanded, the anger making her voice hard and clipped. Sango pulled back to look confusedly at Kagome.

"What?"

"Stop apologizing."

"I'm s-" Sango stopped as Kagome spun around and ran from the room. Madness ensued as everyone ran to follow her, albeit Kaede at a much slower pace.

"Kagome!" the elder priestess called. "Ye must come back!"

Kagome didn't want to listen and dashed out of the village toward the hill. A surprised fox-demon was almost trampled in her haste to get to the well, but she no longer cared. The only thought in her mind was to run away. _I need to leave. I can't stay here. I should have never returned! That stupid, selfish, pig-headed dog! He just up and leaves without me?!_ She felt the familiar wood of the well under her hands, and looked back to see everyone else climbing toward her.

"Don't do it, Kagome!" Sango called. Tears were once again running down her face.

"You are overwrought right now. Just come back with us so we can talk this all through. This is a decision to be made when you are calmer." Miroku, always the voice of reason, urged.

"Kagome! Please don't go! You only just got here!" the bushy-tailed form of Shippo came bounding up behind Miroku. That almost broke Kagome right there, but she had decided.

"I'm tired of everything I've put up with for him! I waited and comforted him as he mourned over the loss of his first love. Hell, I sat by and let him go see her, even when he knew that I liked him! But when I return, I find out he couldn't even wait three years for me? If he thinks he can just take off, and come back whenever the hell he feels like it to see me waiting for him like a good girl again, he's got another thing coming! I'm done with all of his foolish games. I'm done with him. And now, I'm going home."

"Kagome, wait!" was the last thing she heard before she fell back into the Bone-Eaters well.

.:!:.


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own InuYasha, and am in no way making a profit off of this fanfiction. All characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi, with the exception of one of my own characters later on.

**Chapter Three: Death**

Kagome flailed her arms as she fell – straight into the floor of her apartment.

_What?_ She rolled over with a groan. Her head ached where it had smacked onto the table and she rubbed at it as she sat up. The disorientation from her dream faded and she realized she was back at home, not the Feudal Age. A half-eaten piece of celery fell from somewhere within the folds of her shirt. Memories of the day flashed across her mind and she sighed. _Stupid gangster, see what you did? I went off and dreamed about the past. _And that was something she tried to forget every waking moment, waking because it seemed she really couldn't control her dreams.

Stretching, she stood and glanced at the clock - 4:38 p.m. _Oops. I slept the entire day away!_ She jogged into her bedroom to grab her dirty clothes hamper, humming tunelessly as she brought it into the laundry-slash-bathroom. There wasn't too much in the basket, so she just tossed it all in. _Won't bother me if my whites turn pink._ After starting the washer she decided to clean a little around the house. It didn't really need it, but she wanted to keep her mind off the awful memory.

It was dusk when the pain came.

Kagome had been feeling off while cleaning, sort of hollow and tingly. The kind of feeling she normally got when she didn't have enough sugar in her system. So she got a soda and a bit of sherbet to snack on, and headed into the living room. She flicked on the TV to some random program, and sat back with her bowl. Soon as she swallowed a bite, a terrible ache started in her abdomen. It was the worst cramps she'd ever experienced times two. Panic and confusion set in at the same time. _I just had my period, so it couldn't possibly be that._ Another sharp stab erupted in her stomach and she doubled over in absolute agony. Her bowl fell forgotten to the floor; raspberry sherbet splattering and staining the sandy carpet.

Pain. The pain was too much.

Her stomach turned and she felt bile rise in her throat. She tried to get to the linoleum floor of her kitchen, but when she straightened to stand it was as if a knife had been driven into her spine. Kagome collapsed paralyzed, barely managing to roll onto her side as she vomited. The spasms in her stomach only magnified the already extreme torture. She gritted her teeth against it, which only resulted in vomit spewing out of her nose. Her eyes started to water as the acid burned the delicate insides of her nostril. She continued to heave for another minute, even though there was nothing left to expel. It was as the good feeling that always comes after getting sick settled over that she realized the pain was gone. Then again, not only had the pain left, so had the feeling in her entire body.

She lifted a trembling arm – _At least I can do that_ – and brought it to her face. She wiped her mouth, which was extremely hard to do when you couldn't feel where you were touching, and stared blankly at her hand when she pulled it away. The bright hue of blood was streaked across her palm. She stared at it like it was a stranger to her for a moment before an odd sound rushed through her lips. A second later she was snickering, then full-fledged laughing. Her laugher had a frenzied edge to it, and she realized she was going into hysterics again. The laughter was interrupted by a cough, though. It was wet sounding, and more followed it. Before long, blood had splattered all over and around her. Kagome's breathing was now reduced to a rattled gasp. She wasn't getting enough oxygen and black spots started to pop in and out of existence in her vision.

Reality hit her slowly. _I'm dying._

She waited for all of her memories to fly before her eyes like a homemade movie, but it didn't happen. What did happen was more surprising.

A shadow fell over her, and she opened her eyes. The lack of oxygen had messed with her vision, so all she could see was the fuzzy outline of a person kneeling over her. She stared, enraptured.

"Kagome," A soft, deep voice echoed from somewhere far away. _My angel's come to claim me._ The angel called her name again, and this time she tried to reach for him. Her strength was failing though, and all she accomplished was a weak twitch of her arm. The angel sighed as she attempted to move. Her vision faded more, tinting everything a darker shade of grey. She could barely see, so she was startled when her mouth was forced open and it became even harder to breath.

"Drink Kagome," the same voice commanded her.

She swallowed once and the numbness diminished a little. Another swig and the feeling returned to her face. After several more gulps, she felt as if her entire body was hyper aware.

Then a new feeling rolled over her. It was as if she had gone from the depths of an icy lake into a pit of fiery magma. The pain of burning was so intense she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw no flames licking her body.

"I know there is great pain, but do not worry," a hand brushed through her hair, "it will give you a new life."

The tears that rolled down her face did nothing to quench the fire within, but they came anyway. Her angel's gentle hand continued to pet her head as she burned. She felt it, but it was a lost gesture. The creeping darkness from before had returned. She struggled against it; desperate to fight it back, but it kept coming. It crawled its way up her body taking the remnant of her life with it. With one last shaking gasp, darkness covered her eyes. Her heart thudded once, stumbled, and never beat again.

The stranger watched on calmly as she died. He leaned down to whisper in her deaf ears, "Sleep for now, but know that I will call for you, and you will answer." With unnatural grace, he picked up Kagome's body to cradle it in his arms, and within the span of a second, he and Kagome were gone.

.:!:.


End file.
